Since 1988, over 300,000 more people have been killed and millions more injured because of impaired drivers.  However, also since that time, society has declared something needs to change.

 

16 – Road Safety: Understanding Alcohol and Alcohol Addiction

Ruth Bowles is the Executive Director of the Rockland Council on Alcoholism and other Drug Dependence[1] and in this episode we discuss alcohol, a substance that causes a significant number traffic deaths as well as create problems for individuals, families, businesses, and communities.

Now in its 28^th year, April is recognized as Alcohol Awareness Month.  During April, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) and other organizations work to increase public awareness and understanding, reduce the stigma, and encourage local communities to focus on alcoholism and alcohol-related issues. Read More and Listen to the episode >>>

 12 – DWI Courts: A Necessary Component in the Battle to End Impaired Driving

The Honorable Peggy Hora, international expert on Drug Treatment Courts, including DWI (Driving While Impaired/Intoxicated) Courts, discusses what DWI Courts are and why they are needed to reduce impaired driving by substance-addicted individuals.

Impaired driving kills. The answer to ending impaired driving is: Stop drinking and driving. While a simple statement, the solution is far from effortless. Because a broad spectrum of individuals are arrested for DWI, different responses are required. In the United States, two-thirds of those arrested will not repeat the crime of impaired driving.  The arrest and conviction are sufficient wake-up calls. However, some individuals are addicted to alcohol or other drugs, and the traditional approaches do not work. They continue to drink, then drive, to be arrested and convicted. It becomes an unending cycle, as jail or prison does not change their behavior. For this specific group of offenders, a different approach is needed. That different approach is a DWI Court. Read More and Listen to the episode >>>

09 – Impaired Driving: Make Your Plans Before the Celebration

Mike Brown is the Chief of the Impaired Driving and Occupant Protection Division at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and a former Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol. In his current position, he is responsible for coordinating the United State’s policy and programs concerning impaired driving prevention activities and strategies to improve occupant protection.  During this episode we discuss why December is an important month to remind everyone to not drink and drive and what is being done to prevent impaired driving across the country.

In many parts of the world, the month of December is a time to celebrate the holiday season; between Hanukkah, Christmas, Boxing Day, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Eve, it is a virtual cornucopia of festivities.  For some people, these festivities mean celebrating with family and friends, which at times includes alcohol—and that is when it can get deadly. Read More and Listen to the episode >>>

 

01 – Impaired Driving: NTSB’s Plan to End It.

Impaired Driving has been a part of our culture for over a century, with nearly 10,000 people now killed annually.  Can we stop it, once and for all, so that no one else is killed by an impaired driver?

Dr. Mark Rosekind, NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) Board Member, is a leading expert on the steps to take to end impaired driving. In this episode, Dr. Rosekind provides an overview of NTSB’s 19 research-based recommendations to achieve that goal.  These recommendations cover a wide variety of perspectives—everything from stopping the social drinker from taking the risk of driving after drinking, to getting the repeat DWI (Driving While Impaired) offender to change his or her behavior. The recommendations also look at a number of actions and tools that can be used in this critical effort, such as ignition interlocks, DWI courts, and sobriety checkpoints.  This conversation with Dr. Rosekind examines some of these topics in detail, including:

• What ignition interlocks are and the critical role they play
• The DADSS program (The car of the future?)
• Reducing the BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentration) from .08% to .05%, and
• DWI Courts for the repeat DWI offender

Laying out the steps NTSB took to develop these recommendations, and detailing what several of them mean, Dr. Rosekind provides a comprehensive discussion on how we can end impaired driving.  At the end of our conversation, Dr. Rosekind provides his suggestions on what we as individuals can do to make a difference and save lives.  Read More and Listen to the episode >>>